User Reviews

Reviews by andyo:

4/5 rDev +5.3%look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Definately my favorite Sam Adams beers. Why don't they sell this apart from the mix packs? I'm tired of buying mixed 12-packs for this beer...and then having to give away the cranberry Lambics to unassuming friends. Anyhow, this is a nice, malty treat. Hints of spice, cinnamon, and faint chocalate notes makes this one a nice holiday warmer.

More User Reviews:

Slight bitterness is there but not on the front end. I usually can’t detect the trace flavors brewers claim to use, but the orange in this one shines through. Bravo. Malty. Nutty. Smooth. Delicious. The only drawback of this beer is that it’s not available in sixers, but I digress. Like many, I’d drink this stuff early and often were it readily available.

Appearance: Pours a dark ruby red-brown beer with an off-white creamy head, about a finger thick, that sticks and stays.

Smell: Aroma is raisiny with soft cinnamon spice. Some ginger can be detected, but it's very subtle.

Taste: Quite flavourful with a smooth and medium-bodied feel. Malty flavours are again raisiny (fruity esters) with a roasted character that provides further depth with notes of smoke and coffee. Sweetness is modest, but keeps things in check. Chocolate and caramel flavours are also present and blend nicely with cinnamon and background orange flavours. A hop bitterness begins to stand out, but is quickly overtaken by a very distinct tingly ginger spice. Finish lingers with malty notes, then the warming alcohol kicks in.

Notes: This is damn good winter seasonal IMO. Balanced to perfection, given everything that is going on. I just love this beer, and miss it dearly on its own. They should bring this back in 6-pak form. Or just bottle a few cases of bombers for me =)

Perhaps one of the most talked about beers that Boston Beer Co. has, right after Cranberry Lambic. Another spiced winter warmer but its limited availability drives the demand up IMO. Big towering densely rocky tan head from a hard pour, glowing reddish brown color. You can smell all of the spices used; cinnamon, ginger and orange peel mild chocolate malt tone in the back of the nose. Smooth and creamy with a slick full body. Mild burnt tone goes away quickly as the malt sweetness layers the palate and the spicing picks it right back up. Hint of woody hop gets lost with the spicing. Finishes off semi-sweet with a vague chocolate flavor.

Spicing does not go too far, maltiness is big enough to hold the beer together. A solid beer all around and a bit of a conversation beer as well which is good around this time of year.

Pours a clear amber with about a finger width of tan head that retains well and leaves good lacing. Aroma is big time spicy with a sweet, fruity tinge behind it.

Taste is very sweet with tones of maltiness, spice, sour citrus. Finish is a little watery with splash of sweetness at the end. Mouthfeel is medium bodied that leaves a tingling carbonation on the tongue. Alcohol is well hidden.

Hmmm. Quite the interesting Winter Warmer. I liked the spicy aroma and taste but the whole thing just lacked a certain beefiness that I like in my cold weather beers. It was nice to try once but I dont' really see any need to go back.

It's been years since I was luck enough to have this on draught in the late 90's. My local store split out the singles from the winter pack apparently. Anyhow, glad to revisit - this pours mahogany with thin off-white head. Aroma is malty with mild spice, chocolate, and fresh-cracked hazelnut. Flavor is similar, but somehow different in a good way, with the nut and spice mixing to produce the dominant, but never overwhelming, flavors. This on top of malt and slight caramel sweetness is fantastic. I really enjoy this one, then and now.

A: Pours a three finger head of good cream, good thickness, and great retention. Colour is a nontransparent dark amber.

Sm: Nuts, spices, and cream. A moderately strong aroma.

T: Toasted malt as a foundation (which I love), cream, nuts, very slight spices, and light candied sugar. Boring for the style, but the balance is alright.

Mf: Smooth and wet. The thickness is off as well. Mediocre at best.

Dr: While I usually love winter warmers, this offering feels a bit like it's catering to the mainstream US market. (It probably is). As a result, it's nowhere near as good. I'd encourage Sam Adams to brew an authentic winter warmer. Where's the spice?

No yeast/alcohol/hop notes. A pleasant inviting aroma of mild strength.

T: Surprisingly aggressive toasted malt. Toffee. Heavy caramel. Syrupy malts. Bready malts. Amber malts. A bit of chocolate malt. A kiss of char. Cinnamon as well as other indistinct spices. I don't find ginger or orange per se. Use of specialty malts is evident. Not a gestalt build, but it has fair cohesion and decent balance. Could use more complexity, subtlety, and above all authenticity. It's just not an evocative, genuine winter warmer. Decent depth of flavour. Average duration and intensity of flavour.

Sweetness/bitterness feels really off. Some off-putting char is present as well; I like well-integrated char, but this isn't cutting it. It has its flaws.

No yeast character, alcohol, or hop character comes through.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Body is inconsistent, but good for the most part. Thickness never feels quite right. A biteen overcarbonated. Unrefreshing. It doesn't have the alcohol warmth you'd find in higher ABV winter warmers. There's just something lacking here. It's almost a bit syrupy.

Dr: Drinkable, sure. But it isn't a great winter warmer. You could call it pretty decent for an American example of the style, but it can't hold its own against the best European offerings. Above average, certainly, but not world-class. I wouldn't go out of my way to buy this again, but I won't mind seeing it in future Sam Adams holiday packs. It might age decently, but I won't be the one to allot it cellar space. I want more spice, and a fuller toasted malt body. There are individual elements that work well, but as a whole it doesn't quite come together.

Pours a clear orange-brown with a foamy khaki head that settles to a small cap on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, and spice aromas. Taste is much the same with a mild hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer but the flavors aren't as good as the smells I am getting.

Smooth, puts me in the mood for a fireplace and footy pajamas. Poured into a stemmed goblet, darkest brown, three finger head even with a gentle pour. Smells of malt, tastes of spice, cinnamon, not overly sweet. Velvet mouthfeel, overall quite enjoyable.

I love this beer enough to buy a mixed case of Sam Adams for four Fezziwigs. Don't get me wrong, the others get drank, but I buy the case for the Fezziwigs. Wish they were more widely available as a stand alone case.

Look: It pours dark amber with plum overtones. The head is tan, with a slight yellowish color in it.

Smell: it has aromas of chocolate, roasted, and a bit of toffee. There is also a slight citrus smell of oranges. It has aromas of brown sugar, nutmeg, and maybe a bit of cinnamon.

Taste: It has a sweet, fruity combination mixed with the malts. There are flavors of orange, chocoalte, roasted malts, and some spices highlighted by nutmeg. The combination also gives it a licorice type flavor with it as well.

Feel: It has moderate carbonation with a moderate fell to it. There is a slight bittering on the palate with a wee bit of tart.

Overall: This is a good holiday warmer with a good mixture of malts and spices combined with sweet fruity flavors.

First time trying this brew picked it up in the variety 12 pack,pours a deep brown/red with a light but lacey head,the aroma is mainly malty with some light brown sugar notes.Taste is very raisiny and bready with a syrupy taste that lingers,a definent malt accented beer wich is nice.I think one of the better BBC offerings but not the easiest beer to drink.

S - Smells of spice - cinnamon and a bit of raisin. Some roasted malts are present as well.

T - The taste compliments the smell with the cinnamon and raisin apparent immediately. Some dark fruit flavors and a nice toasted malt backbone. Some sweetness but not overpowering. A slight hop flavor is floating around in there too.

M - Pleasant, smooth.

D - Not bad for a couple, but the spice might wear on your palate after a bit.